A Boy and A Girl

Chapter 12 ゜ ✭ ・.

Point of View: Bailey

As Bailey reached Genevieve's house, he paused outside for a minute, considering whether or not he'd made a good decision outfit-wise. His outfit was casual but more formal than what he'd worn to the coffee shop. A purple T-shirt, a black jacket which was left unzipped, a pair of long ripped blue jeans, a purple baseball cap, and some black tennis shoes. No, he promptly decided that the outfit looked fine, but then followed with a worry about all of the things that could go wrong once he entered that door. He let out a quiet sigh, pacing back and forth to either side of the porch and taking out his phone.

He texted Ginny, 'Hey- I'm here!' He pressed send and then stayed still for a minute, awkwardly shifting back and forth between each foot. Eventually, he determined it would be best for him to simply knock on the door. He'd been invited, had he not? Furthermore, it was polite to knock on the door before walking in.

The blond-haired teenager leaned on the door, rubbing his eyes. 'Why is everything so hard?' Bailey wondered to himself, gazing out at the darkening sky and the neighborhood, which he knew to be filled largely with younger couples who were starting families. There were a few children that he'd observed running around a couple of months back, but not many.

"I bet none of those kids have such a hard time just trying to knock on a door." He scoffed. "You're pathetic, Bailey..."

He inhaled deeply through his nose and strode over to the door, and his blue eyes rested on the painted wood. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door. He waited for a moment, and when nothing horrible happened, he released a relieved breath.

From inside the house, he heard Genevieve's mother yell, then listened to footsteps walking upstairs. He tapped his foot worriedly, although it made no sense for him to be worried. "It's just Genevieve." He reminded himself, and then...

"Bailey, you're here!" The blue-eyed girl exclaimed, beaming. She waved for him to come inside, and he followed slowly, shutting the door behind him. As he stepped into the house, he glimpsed each room - the kitchen, dining room, living room, and the entrance hallway, which connected to each of the aforementioned rooms. It also connected to the stairs that led to the second floor, which he knew to contain the bedrooms and Genevieve's father's music studio.

He followed Ginny into the kitchen, where her mother was inspecting the oven. She appeared to be baking cookies - sugar cookies, which she knew Bailey loved. His blue eyes met hers, and she smiled. "Oh, hello Bailey." She smiled. "I heard you would be joining us for dinner, so I decided to bake some sugar cookies. I know they're your favorite." She winked with a slight grin and Bailey immediately relaxed. He allowed himself a small chuckle and smiled back at her. The familiar feeling of interactions between the two was nice. She'd practically been a parent to him as he was growing up. She was nicer than his actual parents most of the time.

"Thank you, Mrs. Collins." He replied, sitting down at the table beside the already seated Genevieve.

Bailey stared at his hands. He was waiting expectantly for the blessing, which everyone else seemed to have forgotten. Genevieve must have noticed this because she began speaking.

"Dear Lord, please bless this food that we are about to eat..." there was a short pause, and then she finished with, "I pray that you watch over us and our days, amen."